


Thwarted

by myranium (keyholes)



Category: The Yogscast
Genre: F/M, M/M, Tekkit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-25
Updated: 2012-10-25
Packaged: 2017-11-25 19:33:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/642268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keyholes/pseuds/myranium
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sjin gets caught short on the search for pumpkins.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Thwarted

Sjin was beginning to panic, ever so slightly. He was completely lost, and the sky was darkening. Sips had been busy giving Honeydew the run around at Pig Island, and to surprise him, Sjin had decided to finally find pumpkins to make the iron golems they'd once planned to. The iron blocks were just sitting around in the janitor's closet after all.

He had run south west, past the volcano and round the coast, sprinting across the hills in the late afternoon. He found a certain freedom in running, losing himself as he pushed ever further, passing through different biomes, the landscape seeming to fly past him. He'd realised with a start that the blazing heat of day had cooled, and looking up to search for the sun's position, deep grey clouds had returned his gaze, but on the west horizon they were smudged with pink as the sun set behind them. He paused as the first drops of rain began to fall, and glanced around, wondering where on earth he was. How far had he run? he asked himself, scratching his head, his calves aching in reply. No pumpkins, he noted with a sigh.

He began to run north, in what he hoped was the direction of the compound. The rain came down heavily now, and before long he was soaked through. The hills around him were unfamiliar; he had taken a wrong turn somewhere.

He saw a light in the distance atop a mountain, and began to climb. As he neared it, he felt the heat of the fire spitting in the rain; it was a beacon, the burgundy netherbrick flickering as the flames licked higher. He stood for a moment, warming his hands, and turned to look over the land. Through the deluge, he saw a dark castle with turrets on each corner, facing onto a bay beyond, the water's surface mottled with the downpour. Above one turret, a cluster of energy collectors glowed in the darkness, throwing shadows of the battlements against the grass. Beside it, he saw a small farm, and despite his shivering, he beamed when he spotted them, their orange skin just visible in the failing light; pumpkins!

He carefully made his way down the mountain as thunder rolled above him, spotting a small pen of mooshrooms. He stared at them quizzically as he passed, and not looking where he was going, he tripped, yelping loudly as he fell face first into a trough of water, the dirt around it dug ready for crops. He hauled himself out, water gushing from his shoes as he stood. He sighed, taking a handful of his shirt in his hands and wringing it out as he continued over to the pumpkins. He knelt down beside one to break the thick stem, but just his hands wrapped around it, he heard a low growl behind him, and a bow string pull taut.

He winced, and turned around. Blinking stupidly, he took in the sight which met his eyes; a green dinosaur, scales slick with rain, his eyes dark as he aimed a ready arrow directly at Sjin's chest.

***

"Rythian!" Zoey hissed, shaking the mage's arm. "Rythian, wake up!"

Rythian's face crumpled as he woke, but he kept his eyes shut, determined to get back to sleep.

"I heard someone outside!" Zoey whispered, still gripping his arm.

"Go back to sleep, Zoey," Rythian mumbled, his hand on hers as his fingers snaked up her arm and tugged her into an embrace. He rested his hand gently over her mouth to quieten her, but withdrew it with a huff when she licked his palm.

It was only when someone knocked on the bedroom door that he opened his eyes. Zoey wriggled out of his grasp, wrapping a sheet around herself as Rythian hurriedly pulled on his clothes, tying his mask just as Zoey opened the door. Teep stood in the hallway, his muzzle dripping.

"Teep? What is it?" she asked.

Rythian looked up as the dinosaur pulled hard on his charge, dragging Sjin into view.

"Hey Rythian," Sjin said weakly.

"Sjin!" Rythian answered, his voice twisting the name into a bitter curse.

Sjin's eyes moved between the mage and Zoey, her sheet doing little to conceal her. "Someone's been busy," he smirked.

Rythian took his katar from the bedside table, brandishing it as he approached Sjin.

"Hey, hey, there's no need for that!" Sjin said, squirming against Teep's hold.

Rythian held the weapon between them, its blade throwing off red sparks. "Just like there was no need for a war," he spat.

"Are you still sore about that?" Sjin teased, unable to stop himself.

The mage's eyes narrowed. "You destroyed everything I worked for!" He didn't raise his voice, but his tone was heavy with long-hidden anger.

"And me!" Zoey piped up. "What about my mushroom village?"

"Well-" Sjin started.

"You murdered us all!" Rythian exclaimed, his purple eyes aglow with rage.

"It wasn't my idea!" Sjin said, holding up his hands.

"Wasn't it?" Rythian rebutted, sarcasm thick in his voice. "That idiot scientist just woke up one day and decided to kill everyone?"

"Yes!" Sjin replied, his eyes darting between Rythian and the tip of the katar as the mage moved it slowly closer.

"So you didn't steal from him?"

"I- I may have _borrowed_ -" Sjin began.

"Stole," Rythian corrected him.

"Well, er, yes," Sjin admitted sheepishly.

Rythian shook his head in disgust. "I've thought long and hard about revenge, Sjin. It's time," he said, raising the katar, as Sjin's eyes widened, cowering in Rythian's shadow.

A sudden rap on the door stilled the mage's hand. They all turned their faces to the sound, fists pounding against iron, someone yelling "Sjin! Sjin!"

"I'll deal with it," Rythian muttered. "Don't kill him," he added, looking between Teep and Zoey. "That task is mine," he said, his fingers tightening around his weapon.

***

It had been a long day for Sips. He walked back from Pig Island as the hot afternoon wore on. The air was heavy, and his uniform clung to his skin uncomfortably. As he approached the compound at last, he looked over to the volcano, his eyes tracing the long pipeline; he caught a glimpse of white and orange sprinting across the raw basalt.

"Sjin!" he shouted, but he was too far off. Sips hurried after him, but couldn't match the man's pace. "Sjin!" he yelled again, holding his hands either side of his mouth to funnel the sound, but still it wasn't enough.

He reached the summit, the remaining magma below his feet only adding to his discomfort. He worked a finger under his collar and tugged at it, the breeze brushing warmly across his sternum. Looking over the landscape, he searched for movement, but only grazing sheep interrupted his line of sight.

Stretching his shoulders, he suddenly remembered the jetpack strapped to his back. With a grin, he zoomed upward, expertly hovering over the peak and flying south west to where the forest met the sea. He peered down through the thick branches, but found no sign of Sjin. The trees sloped higher the further he went as a jungle loomed into view. He touched down on a high canopy with a bump and turned to gaze around him. Barely visible on the foggy west horizon, the forest fell away to grassland, sharp ridges of mountains seeming to break through the ground. 

It was growing dark and Sips wondered if Sjin had even remembered to pick up a sword as the hills glowed with the last light of the day. Emerging from behind a dip in the landscape, Sips saw him; Sjin was slower now, pausing. A droplet of rain fell softly on Sips' cheek, and at the same moment as Sjin, he scowled upward, his face becoming peppered with water as the heat finally broke into a storm.

"God damn it, Sjin," Sips muttered as he wiped his brow and took off towards where the man stood. He watched as Sjin turned, running north now, disappearing into the trees once more. Sips followed, pondering idly if Sjin would even notice if he was struck by lightning, his body lit up like a torch against the twilight.

Sips flew over the coastline and the forests for what felt like hours. He hadn't seen Sjin again since, and began to think the architect must have returned to the compound, warm and dry as Sips toiled in the rain following his trail. Below him, a glint of purple light whispered over the grass. 

"What the hell?" Sips asked himself, touching down beside it, his knees shuddering slightly with the impact though he remained stoic. A portal stood before him, shadowed by the surrounding trees, mushrooms growing in their shade. Behind it he saw a well-used path trodden into the grass, leading westward. He followed it cautiously, careful to remain hidden in the undergrowth.

A building loomed into view, its dark walls towering over the woods. Sips paused, hearing Sjin's voice nearby. A dark creature was dragging the man up the castle steps, ignoring his protests. Standing by the doors, Sips saw his friend's captor illuminated by the pale blue light of the interdiction torches that marked the entrance; a dinosaur watched as the doors swung soundlessly open at his touch, his reptilian eyes glinting as the rain glazed his scaled skin. Sips blinked in disbelief.

"Well, would you look at that," he said under his breath. He realised with a start that the doors had shut and the dinosaur had vanished inside, taking Sjin with him. Sips' hand closed around his sword's handle as it hung from his belt, reminding himself it was there. He crept out from his hiding place, noticing absently a series of graves on his right. He paused to read the wooden epitaphs, and with a jolt, knew where he was: "Rythian!" he said aloud, reading it off the makeshift tombstone, the hole before it laying open and empty. He turned, passing kennels where two wolves slept soundly.

Nearing the doors, he peered into an obsidian enclosure, an iron golem sadly returning his gaze. Sips stepped back in surprise as the golem stretched an arm towards him, but chuckled softly when he saw a rose clasped in its hand. Sips took the bloom warily, mumbling "Thanks buddy," and tentatively patting the golem's hand. He could've sworn it smiled.

In the absence of a buttonhole, Sips tucked the flower under the strap of his jetpack and continued up to the windowless façade. He banged his fist against the door. When no answer came, he pummelled against it with both hands, yelling Sjin's name at the cold unyielding iron.

Finally, it opened, and Rythian stood in the bright hallway, his clothes light but his katar in hand, looking at Sips questioningly. The mage opened his mouth to speak but Sips burst forward, grabbing his collar and slamming him against the wall, ignoring the weapon in his hand.

"Where's Sjin?" he demanded, his wet clothes cold against Rythian's chest.

Rythian was winded, but he looked back at Sips evenly, his voice steady. "I've no argument with you, Sips," he said, refusing to engage him.

"You got a problem with Sjin, you got a problem with me," Sips replied, twisting the fabric in his fist so it tightened around Rythian's neck.

"Fine," Rythian agreed simply. Charging the katar, he watched with a soft smile beneath his mask as Sips flew against the opposite wall, hitting it so hard a painting dropped to the floor. Rythian straightened his collar, moving his head slowly from side to side as his bones clicked, realigning themselves.

Sips moved to get up, but the mage mercilessly charged his katar again, and Sips was pinned to the wall, his body throbbing. A trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth, but he showed no sign of the pain, his face stony as he licked it away. Rythian eyed him critically, taking a step closer as the metallic taste spread through Sips' mouth.

"Sjin must pay for what he's done, Sips," Rythian said, relinquishing the katar's force and letting Sips fall to the ground. The mage sighed heavily, and turned to leave. 

Ignoring the aching in his head, Sips grabbed suddenly at Rythian's wrist, twisting it hard and fast so the weapon fell from his grasp. Rythian cursed, his arm burning as Sips leapt to his feet, jumping on the mage so the pair of them collapsed onto the marble floor, Rythian trapped under Sips. The mage's hand searched frantically for his katar, but Sips found it first, holding it smugly against Rythian's throat.

"If I had my armour... you'd be dead," Rythian gasped angrily, breathless with the sudden weight of the man on top of him.

"Without all that magic crap, you're nothing but a weak little chump Rythian," Sips hissed in his ear.

Rythian snapped, thrashing beneath the pale-faced man uselessly, encaged by his limbs. 

"You've spent too much time with Mushroom Girl," Sips laughed, holding firm. "You forgot how real men fight."

Rythian said nothing, but seethed as Sips moved carefully to stand, pushing his knee hard into the small of Rythian's back to keep him down, before dragging the mage up and pressing him against the wall with his body. He stared back at Sips as the man ran the flat side of the katar's blade against Rythian's cheek, the purple fire of the mage's eyes flaring as Sips flicked it under the edge of his mask, and the thin fabric drifted to the floor, revealing a long scar on Rythian's cheek, the skin warped by the flames of a long-extinguished blaze. Sips broke his eye contact, roving over the marks, their displaced tale filling the space between them. Sips reached up his hand, Rythian flinching as he saw the katar and expected the worst, but Sips ran his thumb over the scars softly, his brow furrowing as he felt their rise and fall.

"Are you done?" Rythian asked, scowling.

"No," Sips said simply, moving his left hand to rip the mage's shirt open, his fingers tracing scars of jagged arrowheads darting down his torso. "Jesus, Rythian. What the hell happened to you?"

"Sjin," Rythian replied bitterly, the name spoken as if he had thrown it.

Sips looked up at him, meeting his eyes. "Friendly fire?"

"Very friendly," Rythian scoffed.

Rythian shifted abruptly, trying to grasp for the katar in Sips' right hand, but the man reacted quickly, stepping back, holding it at once against Rythian's neck, his left hand firmly on the mage's shoulder.

"Nice try, buster," Sips said, snapping back to his task. "Here's what we're gonna do. You're going to tell ol' Dino Breath to send Sjin in here, and we're going to leave. And because I'm such a nice guy, I won't tell anyone what a clown you are," Sips added, smiling as he felt the mage's anger rising to the surface.

"I will end you, Sips," Rythian spat.

"Sure you will," Sips mocked. "Just do it, Magic Boy."

Rythian raised his voice, calling down the hallway, "Teep! Teep, send Sjin in here. And stay there," he ordered.

"Rythian?" Zoey asked in reply.

"Just send Sjin and stay there, okay?" Rythian said unwaveringly, praying that she wouldn't come in.

In the bedroom, Sjin watched as Zoey and Teep exchanged glances. They had tied him to a bedpost, Teep growling whenever he dared to move. The dinosaur shrugged, and bent to hook his claws in the knots that held Sjin, unfurling at his touch. He took Sjin's arm roughly, dragging him down the stairs, and pushing him out the door into the hallway, closing it behind him.

Sjin shuddered at the creeper window to his left, and walked nervously down the corridor. When he turned the corner, he saw Rythian, unmasked and with his shirt hanging open, Sips holding a blade at the mage's throat, a rivulet of dried blood trailing from his own lips.

"Sips?" Sjin said nervously, his eyes darting between them, and lingering on Rythian's scars.

"Hey Sjin," Sips greeted him casually, looking the man up and down as Sjin rubbed his wrists.

Sjin stared at Rythian's skin, gulping. He had wondered what lay behind the man's mask, but never had he imagined the extent of it. "Rythian, I'm... I'm sorry," he stammered.

Rythian looked at him, his eyebrow raised, blinking when he met the man's eyes and found no hint of sarcasm. "What?"

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" Sjin repeated. "I didn't mean-"

"Yes, you did, Sjin, I heard you," Rythian interrupted him, adding in a bad impression of the man, "Sorry, ha ha, not really." He frowned at Sjin, daring him to speak.

Sjin could only look down sheepishly, shuffling his feet.

"Hey, he's trying to say sorry, come on, jeez," Sips said, softly shoving Rythian's shoulder.

Rythian was only growing more annoyed, and Sjin knew it. "Let's get going, Sips," he said, moving to stand behind him, the mage's eyes tracking him unblinkingly.

Sips stood back, holding the katar at arm's length as he reached behind him with his spare arm to find Sjin's hand. Sjin took it gratefully, interlocking their fingers. He flinched as he stepped onto a pressure plate and the door swung open. Rythian smirked, stifling a cruel laugh.

"Shut up," Sips said, seeing the mage's reaction. He threw the katar to the floor with a clatter and punched Rythian out cold. 

"Sips! What was that?" Sjin asked in shock, letting go of Sips' hand and kneeling to prop Rythian against the wall, his head lolling to the side. Sjin reached for his tattered mask, closing it in the mage's hand.

"What?" Sips answered innocently, reclaiming Sjin's hand and tugging him to his feet. Sjin squeezed back softly. 

"Come on, you big dum dum," Sips smiled, and pulled Sjin out the door, as the man looked back worriedly at Rythian. 

Sips began to fiddle with his jetpack, thankful that it had at least stopped raining. "Wait a minute, I just need to get something," Sjin said, escaping his hold and hurrying over to the farm. He grabbed a pumpkin, snapping the stem, and carrying it back to where Sips stood watching him, bemused.

"Check it out Sips, now we can make golems!" Sjin exclaimed.

"That's amazing Sjin!" Sips grinned, suddenly remembering. He turned to look over his shoulder and saw the golem's rose, looking worse for wear, but still tucked beneath the strap. He pulled it out, and handed it to Sjin.

"For me? Sips, I didn't know you cared," Sjin blushed, leaning forward to peck Sips on the cheek. 

Sips responded by lifting the man into his arms, smiling when Sjin squeaked in surprise, the pumpkin resting in his lap as Sips hovered upward, flying north east. Sjin held onto the pumpkin with one hand, wrapping his other around Sips' neck as he looked down at the dark forest below them. He shivered, and clung to Sips, resting his head on the man's chest and screwing his eyes tight shut.

Sips glanced down at him in between navigating their way back. "What is it, Sjin?" Sips asked.

"I'm- I'm scared of heights," Sjin said, keeping his eyes closed.

Sips smiled, letting their flight dip without warning, Sjin's hand tightening in panic around his neck before Sips laughed, flying back up.

"Hey, that's not funny Sips!" Sjin protested.

"Are you sure?" Sips teased, letting them drop even further.

Sjin screamed and buried his face in Sips' chest.

"I'm sorry, Sjin," he chuckled, shaking with mirth as Sjin lifted his head to scowl at him.

"I'll get you for that," Sjin mumbled. "As- as soon as we land," he added weakly, avoiding the urge to look down.

"Oh yeah?" Sips challenged, pausing in mid-air. 

"Yeah," Sjin said stubbornly. "Why have you stopped?" he asked.

"I figured you might actually stay still for once, god damn" Sips answered, leaning down to kiss Sjin. "Hey, that's not fair-" Sjin tried to say, his voice was muffled as Sips' tongue twisted around his own. Sips felt the man squirm in his arms, before he relaxed slightly. 

Sips pulled back with a triumphant smirk, flying onward. Sjin nuzzled his neck, nipping him softly.

"Do you want us to crash, Sjin? Jeez," Sips said, but when Sjin looked up at him, he grinned back, and Sjin rested against him, smiling softly.

**Author's Note:**

> The amazing [Catterflyart](http://catterflyart.tumblr.com) drew some scenes from this fic, check out the sketches [here](http://myranium.tumblr.com/post/34295627405), and the finished illustrations [here](http://myranium.tumblr.com/post/34355544435), [here](http://myranium.tumblr.com/post/34410134237) and [here](http://myranium.tumblr.com/post/34696757771)!


End file.
